Reply to: "Gaps in employment"

[itjobs]

Nobody is going to hang you for telling the truth. Just be honest but polish the words if possible. Saying that "I was looking for a job for 12 months" is worse than saying "I was trying my ambition for the last 12 months and failed".

[SueEllen]

What I am curious to know is if I worked for a Consultancy such as KPMG and worked in a city based bank (for example), would there be any vetting and would it be so rigorous? In this example the trip to Afghanistan may well slip under the radar...

The vetting depends on the client.

The consultancy will also basically tell you to withdraw multiple times if you have issues with your credit file, a criminal record, have a substance abuse habit, etc. through out the process.

[northernladuk]

They can stop taking salary and claim JSA, then issue a dividend for the missed salary

And wear their badge of failure with pride.

[d000hg]

They can stop taking salary and claim JSA, then issue a dividend for the missed salary

[kolata]

But now you can't claim JSA when between contracts

Excuse my ignorance, but if a director is out of contract for 6 months, but still pays himself say £900/m, can they claim JSA?
I don't suppose so.

[DodgyAgent]

This might have been discussed but here it is again.
If you have a friend/old client and you sign a support contract with them, say, on 'as needed' basis (i.e. get paid only if they need you to do anything), does this cater for gaps.
This contract can run indefinitely with no real work done and no payment to you.
Hows this for a cover for real gaps?

So you were in prison for a few months. so what?

[MrMarkyMark]

This might have been discussed but here it is again.
If you have a friend/old client and you sign a support contract with them, say, on 'as needed' basis (i.e. get paid only if they need you to do anything), does this cater for gaps.
This contract can run indefinitely with no real work done and no payment to you.
Hows this for a cover for real gaps?

They will be asked to back up your claims though and will have to be prepared to give the correct answers.
If the friend collaborates with exactly what is on the CV then there will not be a problem.

[kolata]

This might have been discussed but here it is again.
If you have a friend/old client and you sign a support contract with them, say, on 'as needed' basis (i.e. get paid only if they need you to do anything), does this cater for gaps.
This contract can run indefinitely with no real work done and no payment to you.
Hows this for a cover for real gaps?

[d000hg]

I just spoke with them. It's as I expected. They consider me to have been employed by my limited company and hence will take a reference from my accountant.

But now you can't claim JSA when between contracts

[northernladuk]

I just spoke with them. It's as I expected. They consider me to have been employed by my limited company and hence will take a reference from my accountant.

Good stuff but it's also very important to understand what you are to your company for other reasons. If you are employed by them you should be paying NMW which as a director you don't have to.

[malvolio]

This doesn't make any sense. By that logic my entire contracting career would have an unemployed status because in order to be IR35 compliant you cannot have an employment contract with any of your clients.

It makes perfect sense. Sadly, your understanding of your position apparently doesn't. Directors aren't de facto employees, but hold a substantive position within the company.

Don't get sucked into the trap of using employment in the same way as an HR drone does. We mean "employment" as being in work, even if OurCo doesn't have a income at that point in time since we are then working on own behalf, looking for income and managing the company. Permies use "employment" to mean someone is paying you to work. HMRC are not the only ones who can't tell the difference.

[Jagoico]

Thank you everyone

[MrMarkyMark]

I just spoke with them. It's as I expected. They consider me to have been employed by my limited company and hence will take a reference from my accountant.

Its not really "as expected".
Some will accept that, some won't.

Sometimes they will ask for other evidence, it just depends who is doing the vetting.

[Jagoico]

I just spoke with them. It's as I expected. They consider me to have been employed by my limited company and hence will take a reference from my accountant.

[LondonManc]

This doesn't make any sense. By that logic my entire contracting career would have an unemployed status because in order to be IR35 compliant you cannot have an employment contract with any of your clients.

He meant a ltd co contract of employment.

As an officer of your ltd co, you have a different relationship to the company than a consultant would to Accenture.

If you're a perm, there's a mutuality of obligation where you're expected to turn up.

You're overthinking this and getting the wrong conclusion; if you're a contractor and not in a contract, they want to know what you were up to and make sure that it was nothing sinister (doing time, bomb-making, etc.)